Good morning. It’s Friday, and it’s time to take to the blog even though I’m mostly focused on the Ryder Cup. DJ, let’s have some music that people haven’t heard.
Day 1 is on at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, the brawny public-course cathedral with the iconic “Warning” sign and a first-tee stadium that feels like a boxing ring. The Black is a par-71 A.W. Tillinghast bruiser that’s hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens and the 2019 PGA Championship, and now it finally gets its Ryder Cup moment. With match play set-ups typically widening fairways and tempering the rough, expect aggression, roars, and momentum swings from the jump.
The course vibe
Bethpage Black does not whisper—it stares golfers down. Massive bunkers, elevated greens, and a closing stretch built for drama make it a perfect match-play arena. Keep an eye on the par-3 17th, where a bowtie green framed by sand dares players to commit, and the 18th, a downhill drive into a fairway laced with bunkers that sets up a nervy wedge into an elevated green. If matches go deep, those two holes will decide hearts and headlines.
Day 1 pairings
Friday opens with foursomes (alternate shot), and the captains haven’t held back. First tee fireworks start at 7:10 a.m. ET.
- Match 1 (7:10 a.m.): Bryson DeChambeau & Justin Thomas vs. Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton
- Match 2 (7:26 a.m.): Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley vs. Ludvig Åberg & Matt Fitzpatrick
- Match 3 (7:42 a.m.): Collin Morikawa & Harris English vs. Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood
- Match 4 (7:58 a.m.): Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay vs. Robert MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland
It’s established European chemistry—Rahm/Hatton and McIlroy/Fleetwood—against U.S. pairings tailored for power, control, and New York energy. Expect Bryson to lean into the opening-tee moment, and for both sides to value smart tee-ball strategy as much as raw speed in alternate shot.
What to watch
- The first tee: A cauldron. The stadium buildout magnifies nerves and adrenaline, and alternate shot exaggerates both.
- Middle-round cadence: With fairways opened up relative to major setups, more drivers bring more fairway bunkers into play—risk-reward decisions will flip matches quickly.
- The closing stretch: Elevated greens and deep sand around 15–18 reward precise trajectories and disciplined targets. If a match is tight, the Black’s bite shows up late.
Bethpage Black. Foursomes at sunrise. Four heavyweight matchups, a New York roar that rattles the ribcage, and a course built for late-day theater—Day 1 is primed for goosebumps.
A little update:
Byron and Scottie have gotten hot.
What started with a bunch of optimism has taken a turn for the worst. USA 🇺🇸 now down in three of the four opening matches.